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[Kamikaze Midget]

I think I need to defend WotC a little bit here.

First, there's this from Fifth Element that bears repeating:

Originally Posted by Fifth Element

Developing a new edition requires far more work than a regular publishing schedule. Layoffs are de rigueur shortly after a new edition release, because staff was built up beforehand to develop the new edition.

I just think it's simplistic to suggest that a "well-run business" should not have layoffs. It's more complicated than that.

The savvy folks who watched the Coasties for the last decade or so probably were expecting this. It happened in 3e, it happened in 3.5, and it'll probably happen again afte 5e. I believe in both 3e and 3.5 it happened during the Christmas season.

Second, while a lot of the emotion of Monte's post resonantes with me, there is a little something at work in the idea of "fire the senior developers."

The idea is that no business likes to lay off people. They do it because they have to, not because they want to.

Getting rid of the senior members of the crew allows them to fire the least amount of people to save the greatest amount of money and with the least amount of regret (because it's easier for experienced management to find jobs than it is for Billy the New Guy). It's something of a balancing act, because they do need to remember what happened in the past (which requires those senior members), but they also need to cut expenses.

I'm not saying it was an entirely genius idea from Wizards. They probably could have spread it out better, hit several different levels, and maybe timed it better (can't you let people enjoy their holidays before you depress them?).

But there is logic behind this axe. They're not being Big Evil Corporate Overlords of Evil. They're running a business.

And, on the bright side....these great editors and designers can still find work through the OGL. I'm sure if they want it, it's there.

....though part of me is now REALLY SAD about the GSL being so FUBAR'd, or they could just go on writing 4e stuff.